Earthquake Weather
by RavenclawPianist
Summary: Ruby Red is the hottest pop-rock musician of the year and her sold out spring tour is the place to be. Belle French was assigned by her magazine editor to follow the tour. As different as they may seem, the women will come to realize they have much more in common than expected. (Credit for the title goes to Matt Nathanson and his awesome song)
1. Teaser

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or the characters.**

Screaming and pounding bass music came from the speakers on Belle's computer, the unmistakable sounds of a live concert. The video quality was poor as a result of being recorded on a cell phone, but she didn't mind. At the moment she didn't really need to be able to see the singer well, she just needed to hear what kind of musician she would be following on tour for the next two months.

The video shook and the person who had been recording let out a particularly loud scream just as the singer moved into the frame. While Belle couldn't see much of her features, she did see the long dark brown hair streaked through with bright red that swung wildly down to almost her waist. Her skin was pale, made even more so by the stage lighting and the vibrant red lipstick she wore. A little crop top showed off a slim stomach and a glint of light bouncing back off her might have been a navel ring, but Belle couldn't be sure.

"Thank you, Seattle!" the singer called out into the microphone, lifting a hand out to all the fans. "This has been a great night and you have been a wonderful audience! My name is Ruby Red, and I love you all!"

Screaming continued until the video ended as the singer made her way off the stage. Belle closed the webpage, flicking back to the email from her editor at Music Lifestyle Monthly

_Miss French, we need someone to follow the singer Ruby Red on her next tour as our featured "On the Road" article series. After looking over our writers, we have decided that you are our best choice. The tour begins two days from now (April 12__th__) in Los Angeles. You will stay with Ruby for the duration of the tour and have interviews, write general observations, and speak with fans if possible. Good luck! Mr. Gold_

He never even thought to ask if she would like the job, Belle thought to herself as she closed out of her email and left her laptop on the couch in her living room. Placing her empty tea mug in the kitchen sink, Belle made her way to her bedroom and pulled a large wheeled suitcase from the back of her closet. She dropped it at the foot of her bed and turned to face the closet again, hands propped on hips. Flipping through a few of the hangers, she let out a sigh and just grabbed a whole armful of the clothes and threw them onto the bed. Belle began going through the pile, removing the hangers, folding the clothes, and placing them into the suitcase.

**A/N: Obviously this is more of a teaser than a chapter. I will (hopefully) be posting the first full chapter by the end of the weekend. **


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or the characters.**

The taxi pulled up to the front of the hotel, stopping to let out a short and curvy brunette. She handled him enough cash to cover the ride from the airport and took her suitcase out of the car. Rolling it behind her as she walked through the hotel lobby, Belle stopped at the front desk and smiled at the concierge. "Hello, I'm here to check in?"

"Welcome! What is your name?" he replied, fingers typing furiously on the computer.

"Belle French," she answered.

He glanced up from the computer to look at her. "Yes, here you are. You'll be in room 314. The pool is located on the first floor, just past the breakfast room. Breakfast is served from six until nine-thirty in the morning. Please don't hesitate to call down to the desk if there is anything you need."

Belle took the keycard from him with a murmured "Thank you" and wheeled her suitcase to the elevators on one side of the lobby. Pressing the button for the third floor, she watched the mirrored doors slide shut. When they opened again she walked to the door marked 314. Entering the room, she flipped on the light and looked around.

The walls had been painted beige with a red stripe about three quarters of the way up the wall. A mirror hung over the bed, reflecting the television on a dresser across from the king-sized bed. Red and gold pillows lay on top of the cream comforter, and the curtains at either side of the window matched the gold fabric. A mini-fridge stood beside the dresser and a door near the entrance led into the bathroom. Belle lifted her suitcase onto the table by the window before turning back to the bed to examine the basket that had been placed at its foot.

An envelope with Belle's name rested on top of the other contents in the basket. Opening this first, she read the spiky handwriting inside.

_Ms. French, welcome to the "Diamonds and Ruby" tour. In the basket you will find a selection of Ruby's albums, a DVD with a few of her music videos and televised interviews, as well as reviews of her shows and music with previous articles written about her. While I am sure that you already will have seen most of these things, I just wanted to be sure you had all the information you could need to be ready for this tour. If you are able, please join Ruby and I at supper tonight at seven o'clock in the hotel restaurant. Sincerely, Emma Swan- Manager of Ruby Red. _

Setting the envelope and note down again, Belle went through the materials in the basket. She had already read the articles and reviews before leaving for California and had spent the airplane flight listening to her discography. Taking the DVD to the television, Belle popped the disc in. As she removed a few things from her suitcase and placed them in the dresser and bathroom, she listened to an interview. Ruby Red was a livewire, cracking jokes and making ridiculous statements when asked about her dating history, songs, and hopes for the rest of her career. She almost constantly had a smile on her lipstick-red lips and her brown eyes were framed by black eyeliner. After she had organized things to her satisfaction, Belle sat down at the end of the bed and watched the interview.

"I hope that my music makes people happy, even if only for a little while," Ruby said, throwing a red strand of her hair back over her shoulder. "Maybe my lyrics don't deal with huge societal problems and maybe the songs are loud and not exactly family-friendly, but they are fun. My songs are about the thrill of life and love and making mistakes and not caring. They're the sort of thing that I like, and hopefully other people like it too."

"Well, considering your second album is in the top ten on iTunes I would say that a lot of people like your attitude of fun and carelessness," the show host commented.

Belle watched a strange expression flicker across Ruby's face, quickly composed into a grin again. "Well, I certainly hope to see them all on my tour next spring!"

Turning off the television, Belle stood up and went to pull out the clothes she would wear for supper. Thinking about the momentary look- disappointment? Frustration?- on Ruby's face after the interviewer commented on her image of being fun and careless, she set the clothes on the bed and went to take a shower. By the time she got out, dressed, and dried her hair, she had about an hour left before she was expected to meet Ruby Red and Emma Swan for dinner.

She left her long brown hair down and slightly wavy, falling over her shoulders and onto her ivory blouse. The shirt was tucked into a deep green, knee-length skirt with a thin brown belt. Black high heels gave her a few more inches of height, something that she always appreciated as a five-foot-one woman. Pale gold eye shadow sparkled on her eyelids, and her lashes were darkened with mascara. A thick gold necklace with a clock charm hung around her neck, and a matching gold chain bracelet rested on her wrist. She settled down among the pillows on the bed with a book to pass the time until supper.

Belle arrived at the hotel restaurant at exactly seven o'clock. The hostess led her to a corner booth table where a blonde woman with bright green eyes waited. The blonde stood up and offered a hand to Belle. "You must be Belle French. I'm Emma Swan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Belle said, shaking the offered hand before both women sat down.

"Ruby will be joining us in a few minutes. She has a terrible habit of running late," Emma commented, sipping from her water glass. "How was your flight? I understand you were flying from New York."

Belle nodded. "The flight was fine. I spent most of it listening to Ruby Red's albums."

"She tends to prefer when people just call her Ruby in conversation," Emma replied. "Ruby Red is purely her performance name."

"I'll remember that," Belle said. "Is there anything else I should know before meeting her?"

Emma shrugged. "Not particularly. Above all else, Ruby is just a woman. You'll be traveling with us for two months. That should give you a fair amount of time to get past the mask she shows fans and most journalists. I think it would be great if you could write an article about the real Ruby."

Belle smiled, a hint of nervousness in the twitch of her lips. "But no pressure, right?"

Emma laughed. "No pressure. Mostly I want her shows to sell out and for her album to stay at the top of the charts. Anything else would just be a bonus."

"Sorry I'm late," a voice came from behind Belle. "I wanted to clean up after swimming so I wouldn't smell like chlorine all through dinner." Ruby slid into the booth beside Emma, putting the blonde between her and Belle. She smiled at the journalist, teeth surprisingly white. "So this is the writer who'll be following me around? This idea just got a lot better, Emma. Why didn't you tell me she was such a pretty little thing?"

Belle blushed as Emma swatted Ruby's arm. "Manners, Ruby. You are not allowed to scare her off. Sorry," Emma said to Belle. "She likes to try to shock new people."

Ruby winked. "Sorry if that was too much right away. But you are hot." Emma swatted her again.

Belle blushed again, hand curling around her water glass. Emma shoved a menu at Ruby and began talking about the schedule for the first day of the tour. Peeking over her own menu, Belle met Ruby's eyes. Ruby winked again, long lashes dark against her pale skin.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or the characters. **

"And then at seven the next morning we'll get on the tour buses and up to Washington," Emma said, signing her name on the bill for the meal and handing it to the waitress. "Any questions?"

Ruby raised her hand, lower lip out in a pout like a child. "Couldn't we just get on the buses straight after the show and drive through the night?"

"Just because you can live on two hours of sleep a night doesn't mean the rest of us can," Emma replied. "And I promised the drivers we would try to cut down on the amount of night driving they would have to do this time around," she stood up and slid out of the booth around Ruby. "I have some things to go over with the sound technicians for tomorrow, so I'm afraid I have to get going. Will you two be alright without me?"

"You're leaving me alone with a journalist?" Ruby asked. "You haven't done that since my second interview when I admitted to beating up a boy I knew in high school."

Emma sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Please don't say anything terrible. I don't want to start the tour off by trying to fix a public relations nightmare. Try to be in your room by eleven tonight so you have enough rest for the show tomorrow. Belle, it was great to meet you and I look forward to working with you over the next few months."

"The same to you," Belle replied, watching Emma walk out of the restaurant, already pulling out her phone and tapping in a number. Turning back to her companion, Belle smiled pleasantly. "Well, I suppose if you don't mind we could get started on the opening interview for the article series?"

"Where is your accent from?" Ruby asked, ignoring Belle's question. "It's not British- I dated an English guy for a while- and it definitely isn't from the States."

Pulling a small notebook and pen out of the purse she had carried down to supper with her, Belle shook her head. "I'm Australian. My parents still live there."

"So how did you end up in Los Angeles?" Ruby asked, head tilted as she looked at Belle with large brown eyes.

Belle shrugged. "I had a job opportunity. How did you get into music?"

Ruby grinned, her smile wolfish. "Oh no, you'll be writing about me for two months and finding out all sorts of details. I want to know about you first. So," she put an elbow on the table and placed her chin in her hand. "Tell me about you. Favorite colors, hobbies, songs, kinks, and anything else you think would be worth mentioning."

Belle shook her head as she felt her head pull back slightly as if she'd had the wind knocked out of her. This wasn't a situation that usually came up during interviews. Most of the people she wrote about were more than happy to talk at length about themselves, usually spending more than the scheduled hour or two of her time as they droned on. Ruby waited patiently, eyes focused on Belle. "Um," the journalist stuttered. "Well, I- I like the color blue, and I love reading, and I like to swim a bit."

"You're a swimmer?" Ruby repeated, head tilting again. "I didn't expect that."

Belle shrugged. "I've never been on a team or anything. It's just something I like to do now and then. Mostly I spend my time reading."

"What do you read?" the singer asked.

Belle laughed before she could stop herself. "What don't I read would be an easier question to answer. If it is in print, I'll read it."

"And what about music?" Ruby asked, shifting in her seat to press a little closer against the table. "What do you like to listen to on the radio?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, I usually listen to the softer pop music. I like Ingrid Michealson and Sara Bareilles a lot."

Ruby winced slightly. "So I suppose that my songs aren't really your style. Too loud, too obscene?"

"It's not what I usually listen to, but it's catchy," Belle replied diplomatically. "I thought a few of the songs on your second album were fun."

Ruby laughed. "Nice save. Alright, so you read a lot, swim sometimes, like the color blue and soft pop music. What do you think about when you're alone? Are you in a relationship?"

"You really don't hold yourself back from asking anything, do you?" Belle asked. "If you ever want to get out of the music business, you should give journalism a shot. I think you'd be able to get more information than a lot of people usually can."

A strand of her hair slid over her shoulder as Ruby shrugged, the red dye attracting the lights in the room. "I don't see the point in being careful what I say. Too many people dance around subjects for ages and I just think that's a waste of time. Now, answer those questions and I'll stop interrogating you and you can start interviewing me."

Belle smiled, taking a sip of water as she thought. "I like to think about where I'll be in the future, whether it's three years or ten. Someday I'd like to travel to places all over the world and experience everything I can. I have this dream of myself in a little apartment in Paris during the weeks and then flying off to Egypt or Ireland or Turkey for weekend trips."

Ruby's chin was back in her cupped hand, eyes fixed on Belle. "And are you in a relationship?" she asked again.

"Not right now," Belle admitted. "My last one didn't exactly end well, and my schedule is irregular enough to make dating a bit difficult."

"How did it end? Was he cheating or did you just get sick of being with someone who couldn't make you happy?" Ruby asked, voice heavy with thinly veiled bitterness.

"Neither," Belle replied, twirling her water glass in her hand. "We both had our own reasons for getting out of the relationship. Now," she said, putting down the water glass and picking up her pen. "Tell me about you. What should my readers know right away about Ruby Lucas?"

Ruby leaned forward on her elbows, hair falling forward to frame her face as she smiled. "I don't know about your readers, but I do know one thing you should know."

"Alright," Belle replied, setting down her pen again and leaning forward towards Ruby across the table. "What do you want to tell me?" she murmured, feeling like a child sharing secrets.

Ruby's brown eyes had tiny hints of gold that Belle could see when their faces were so close together. Her red lipstick had faded slightly during the meal, and Belle noticed a small sprinkling of fair freckles across her nose. The singer smiled, lips closed and eyes twinkling. "I am also very single, and really don't care whether a person is a guy or a girl. If I like someone, I like them. And Belle? I think you are very…" Ruby paused, eyes glued to Belle's blue ones. "Interesting. I'm glad we'll be getting to spend some time together."

Belle flushed slightly as she pulled back, eyes still locked with Ruby's. "Thank you. I'm, well, I'm looking forward to working with you."

Ruby grinned her wolfish smile again. "Well, now that I've fulfilled my daily flirting quota, why don't you ask me those questions?"


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or the characters.**

Blinking against the rising sun, Belle stepped out into the hotel parking lot the morning after Ruby's first concert of the tour. She pulled her suitcase along behind her as she walked over to the tour buses, stopping to stand beside Emma.

"You'll be on the main bus with Ruby and me," Emma told her, taking the suitcase and handing it to one of the roadies who were stowing the luggage under the bus. "Just to warn you, Ruby is annoyingly energetic in the morning."

Belle shrugged, shifting her purse further up onto her shoulder. "I'm a morning person myself."

"God, I hate you now," Emma said, taking another long pull from the coffee cup in her hand. "I'll probably be sitting at the back of the bus and trying to nap for the next few hours until it's a reasonable time to be awake."

"Oh no you won't, Miss Grumpy," Ruby leaned out an open window on the bus, her hair pulled back in a tight ponytail and lips her trademark red. "You said we would go over the set list for tonight's show while we drove."

"Can't that wait until I'm actually awake?" Emma asked. "Why don't you talk more with Belle during the drive, I'm sure she has more questions." Emma gave Belle a pleading look.

"I was hoping I could get some comments about how you feel after kicking off the tour last night," Belle admitted, walking with Emma to the door of the bus. She sat down in the plush seat facing Ruby's, already pulling out her notebook and pen. When she looked up again, Ruby's bright brown eyes were already trained on her.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Ruby asked.

Belle nodded. "You were incredible. How do you find the energy to give that kind of show every night?"

Ruby sighed, leaning back in her seat. "And here I was hoping we could have a normal conversation before jumping into the interview."

"I am on this tour to work," Belle replied. "I can't exactly ignore my job."

"I'm not asking you to," Ruby replied. "But I would like to see you a bit more relaxed. Don't throw questions at me like talk show hosts and writers usually do. We can just talk, and you can put whatever you want in your articles."

"Are you sure you want to give me that much free reign?" Belle asked, setting down her pen. "I'm not sure Emma would approve."

"Emma's my manager, not my keeper," she said flippantly. "Besides, I doubt you'd print anything too inappropriate or damaging to my career." Ruby leaned forward again. "So, what did you really think about the show?"

"I really don't understand how you have enough energy to give that kind of show," Belle repeated. "You were singing and dancing all over the stage. I don't think I've ever seen someone who seemed as alive as you did."

"It's all about loving what you do," Ruby replied. "When I get on the stage and the music starts, I, like, feel it in my soul. The beat of the drums and bass go through me and it feels like my blood has turned into the music. It's the best feeling in the world."

"I can see how you write some of your songs," Belle commented. "You have quite the way with words."

Ruby grinned. "Maybe when I'm done singing I'll get a job as a writer."

"Then I'll be out of a job," Belle laughed. "You will take over the writing world."

"I don't think so," Ruby replied. "I really don't have the attention span. That's one of the things I like about music. It's always changing and there is always something new to try."

"What would you like to try? Are you thinking about changing your sound?" the journalist asked.

Ruby shrugged. "Maybe, I'd like to try to write a few softer things, maybe a ballad or two. As much as I enjoy the dance music I have recorded so far, I feel like it is really giving people a very one-sided view of me. I'm much more than just another party pop princess and I don't think people realize that."

"What other sides of you would you like your listeners to see?" Belle tucked a loose strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ear, watching the other brunette think.

"I'd like them to see the part of me that is not as sure of me as I usually seem," Ruby replied. "My songs are all about being a strong woman who doesn't give a damn about anything but having fun and feeling good, but that isn't who I am most of the time. I mean, half the time I'm worried that people are going to get sick of my music and I'll end up a has-been on late night music documentaries. That's not even to mention how I've been unable to keep a romantic relationship going for more than six months in my entire life or really know what else I can do with my life other than make music," Ruby laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to dump my issues into your lap."

Belle shook her head. "It's alright. I've been told that I'm a good listener."

Ruby shook her head, ponytail swaying. "Tell me more about you. Did you always want to be a journalist?"

"Actually, I wanted to write novels," Belle replied, lips quirking up into a little smile. "I was going to write great coming-of-age stories and make the New York Times Bestsellers list by the time I was twenty-five."

"So why are you following a spoiled pop star on a cross-country tour?" Ruby joked.

Belle shrugged. "Life happened. I went to university and got a degree in journalism and then realized that rent can't be paid in partially written manuscripts and plot ideas. Writing regularly for a magazine pays the bills."

"Do you still write for fun?" Ruby asked, pulling on a strand of her own hair.

"Occasionally," Belle admitted. "I'm almost halfway through one story, but I'm not sure how much I like it. I don't think it's very good."

"What's it about?" Ruby tilted her head, watching Belle intently.

"A young woman going through her life and realizing how many doors have already closed around her and recognizing that where she once saw unlimited possibilities, now she just sees a future that slowly is getting duller and duller," Belle replied.

"That sounds like a bit of a downer," Ruby said. "Is there any chance that it will end happily?"

"I don't know," Belle answered honestly. "I haven't gotten that far yet."

"Well, when you figure out the ending, let me know," Ruby said with a smile. "I'd like to know how things end up for her."

The bus door closed and the engine started up as Belle smiled back at Ruby across the table. Ruby looked out the window as the bus began to move, her eyes flicking back to Belle as a bright grin spread across her narrow face. "Do you know the license plate game?"

"I may have played it with my parents a few times as a child," Belle admitted. "But I haven't played since then."

Ruby leaned in towards Belle. "Then I'll go easy on you. Let's go with the alphabet version first. Whoever gets all the letters first gets taken out for drinks by the loser."

"Deal," Belle laughed, leaning towards the window to look for the license plates on passing cars.

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! I just had mid-terms for the semester, which means classes are getting intense and my stress levels are getting high. I will try to update more quickly this time! (For the record, reviews are excellent writing motivation)**


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